Mini-games in an RPG

[RenleyRenfield]

We would like to include Triple Triad (link) into this game... As a full card game it would be too much... but we want it maybe as a mini-game...

We are using custom hack of Cypher system, with a handful of changes, but overall still cypher in our Final Fantasy 8 RPG (link)

So.... how would you add a way for characters to have quick PvP or PvNPC battles of Triple Triad in-character and rather quickly?

This is basically the same as the "how to add poker" to a rpg. But I want it to be more than one or two simple skill rolls.... looking for a tiny bit of strategy here...

Ideas?

 

[MNblockhead]

The problem I always have when I try to come up with TTRPG rules for another game is that at some point I just either want to just play the card game or just use highly abstracted contested rolls that indicate success in the game over a number of rounds with no real connection to games flavor. I almost always go with the later approach.

It depends on the group, of course, but when you insert mini games with complex rules that take a while to play, it takes many players out of the adventure.

I know that this is not answering your question, but I did take a look at the rules of Triple Triad and looks at in-game TTRPG rules for card, dice, and other games and contests (mostly WFRP4e's "Pub Games" appendix to Rough Nights and Hard Days). And even trying to keep to Cypher system rules and rolls, I found myself wanting to create cards and a grid for a simplified version of the game. When I tried to come up with rules that were only rolls, there still felt like they involved too much complexity and bookkeeping. Here is my shot at a more "pure" Cypher-rules-based game inspired by my VERY low understanding of Triple Triad:

Setup: Each player has 5 imaginary cards (just write down 1,2,3,4,and 5 on a piece of paper)
Goal: Win best 3 out of 5 rounds by "flipping"(x out the numbers) more cards than your opponent.

Each Round

1. Choose Stat: Each player secretly picks one of their stats to use that round. (You can let them reuse stats freely, or say each can be used a maximum of two times.)
2. Roll 1d10 + chosen stat modifier.
3. Resolve:
   1. Higher total wins the round and flips a virtual card (crossed out a number).
   2. Tie = no flip (no player crossed out any number).
   3. Optional: if winner beats the loser by 5+, they flip 2 cards-a “combo” (cross out two numbers)

Optional Twist: Elemental Surge (1d4), each round, the GM rolls once for the field:

1 Fire surge = +2 to Might rolls

2 Speed surge = +2 to Speed rolls

3 Ice surge = +2 to Intellect rolls

4 Chaos = Random player gets +2 this round (flip a coin)

Winning, after 5 rounds:

• Most flips = Winner.
• Tie? sudden death roll-off.

NOTES: d10 is used instead of d20 to match the 1-10 values of Triple Triad cards. The optional elemental surge tried to use GM intrusions to capture the concept of the elemental spaces on the Triple Triad board.

This is still much more crunch than I would want in simple side social event. Maybe if it was a very high stakes game and a big part of the plot, it would give more weight to the moment without feeling like you totally set aside the TTRPG game to play a card game.

I'm sure others who are more familiar with both games and better home brewers could come up with something much better. I have limited experience with the Cypher system and no experience with Triple Triad. I'm sure I got some things wrong, but I tried to keep things abstract and more focused on recognizable Cypher play, rather than trying to be keep "true" to the card game rules.